A Game I Can't Play
by YueSoEul
Summary: She waited for him with only intangible promise of his return. She thought it would be enough, she hoped it would be enough. But, it's time to move on – She wanted to move on. Still, would he let her slip through his fingers?


I was listening to Jon Peter Lewis (OMG! I listen to English Songs!) Anyway, I was listening to it and thought of the SoEul couple. I seriously need to get a life; seriously, they're all I can think about these days. It's becoming hazardous to my life... Heheh... And yeah, that song by Simple Plan kinda inspired the setting heheh... Jetlag 3 **One-shot**!

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There it was; the awkward silence again. It had been some sort of a custom for them to spend the evening in such state as of late. Something of which he didn't appreciate and she didn't seemed to be bothered by it, no, at least not as far as he could see. She was miles away, the look in her eyes, the gaze that once fell on only him, he couldn't see it anymore. Maybe, no, it was definitely his fault. Of all the things he had done to drive her away, he had finally done it. She was there before him but her thoughts weren't. He found himself resenting how far she felt. He remembered how close she felt even when they were just talking on the phone. He had missed those times, it was his fault but he couldn't seem to find the words to make it right. He couldn't even think of a way to make it right with anything. He was going to loose her.

"Sunbae," Ga Eul began and their gaze matched for the first time after a long time seating across from each other without saying anything. He nodded, waiting what it was she wanted to say. She didn't continue immediately, but he noticed how she had suddenly found the hem of her shirt interesting. It didn't look good. "I think I'll take that scholarship after all," She said slowly as if she didn't want to hurt him. Too late, it was cutting him deep; finally, she was going far away, out of his sight and he was out of wits of how to stop her. No, not really, he knew exactly what he could say to make her stay, but, he didn't know whether he wanted to hold her back. It didn't seem fair to her, she had waited for him for four years and now it was her turn to chase her own dream, what right does he have to stop her? Right, he had none, he had never asked her to be his, and they were just that, in the state of limbo causing all of his friends wanting to inflict physical injury on their own being because of his cowardice.

"To London?" Yi Jeong asked carefully. He remembered Ji Hoo mentioning something about Ga Eul being offered to further her study. She was going to specialize in Child Development; he didn't even know that she was interested in taking her Masters in Psychology. She was pretty smart and he never realized that before and that was definitely his fault for never taking her seriously. Well, she would have not been employed by the Shinwha Group if she wasn't, the parents were very particular. "Yes, it's a good opportunity," Ga Eul stated, trying to sound enthusiastic, but, she was feeling anything but. It was another additional two years away from Yi Jeong and she hated it. But, at the rate they are going, she could be finishing her PhD and several Degrees without him ever accepting her feelings. She had to do something; waiting on him was getting a little too tiring for her liking.

Then again, she had never really expected him to come back and sweep her off her feet with a marriage proposal. She knew better, it was just wishful thinking. "Oh," Yi Jeong managed before reaching for the coffee cup in front of him without thinking. He took a sip and felt the coffee burn his tongue but did not flinch. He would rather die than admit it, but, the burning tongue didn't hurt as much as his heart. "When do you leave?" He asked quickly, putting the cup back on the table. "Tomorrow," Ga Eul replied monotonously. _Tomorrow?_ Yi Jeong could hear his head screaming. He had only been back for two months and now Ga Eul was leaving. He cleared his throat uneasily, trying to remain composed, and still he was anything but. It took all of him not to muttered; _so soon?_

"What's your plan?" Woo Bin asked as he threw the dart. Yi Jeong was leaning lazily onto the wall behind him. Everyone had figured out that Ga Eul had dropped the bomb on him and was kind enough to steal a few moments from their busy life to accompany him. "None," Yi Jeong admitted as he sighed. "Can't stop her from chasing her dreams," He added. He had always hated that choice, how do you make someone stay without them resenting you? He can't ask Ga Eul to stay if leaving was the thing she wanted to do. It was her future and she had every right to live the way she wanted. At the corner, as usual, Ji Hoo was catching up with some sleep with a rather large medical book over his face.

"I can't make her choose, it's not fair," Yi Jeong continued as he switched place with Woo Bin and started to throw a couple of darts. Jun Pyo was nodding, he was at the end of his wit as well, and not that he had that many brilliant ideas in the first place. Even his proposal to Jan Di still left the rest of them calling him tacky. Ji Hoo stirred and dropped the book onto the floor with a loud thud. "Maybe, instead of expecting her to chase you all the time, you could try chasing her instead," He stated, followed by a loud yawn. Again, everyone in the room was curious as to how Ji Hoo got through Medical School with all the sleeping time he was taking. Still, Yi Jeong couldn't help but to let Ji Hoo's suggestion sank into his consciousness. "Well, make up your mind, her plane leaves at ten in the morning, tomorrow," Woo Bin chimed in.

"Ga Eul!" Yi Jeong called out as he ran towards the group surrounding the girl. Every each one of their friends was there and they easily parted when they saw him rushing to see her. He found himself standing before him and Woo Bin was giving him a quick pat in the back before they all move to distance where they could not overhear the conversation. "Sunbae?" Ga Eul asked, worried as she studied his sweating face. He was running towards her and she had no idea why. "I can't wait for two or maybe three years," Yi Jeong stated when his breathing was starting to return to normal pace. His eyes were staring directly into Ga Eul's and for a second he lost his train of thought, giving her the ample time for a reply. "I'm not asking you to, sunbae," She said simply, as if unaffected by the statement, like it couldn't hurt anymore and he could feel a twinge of disappointment within his heart.

"I guess, I've always known we'll go our own separate ways," Ga Eul added before Yi Jeong could even open his mouth. "It's not like we won't see each other again, we've been friends for too long, well, sort of," She was throwing one sentence after another and he needed to keep her quite, he had to shut her up and screaming at her in the middle of the airport doesn't seemed like an idea. So, his hand sneaked around her back and his lips crashed onto hers before she could utter another word. He had meant for it to be a short kiss but the moment his lips touched hers, he was unable to part away, he deepened the kiss, only releasing her after they were both running out of air.

"Just shut up, at least give me a chance to say something," Yi Jeong stated breathlessly with his forehead pressed against Ga Eul. Behind them, their friends were celebrating and groaning. Woo Bin was passing what looked like several bills to Ji Hoo and Jan Di along with Jae Kyung was giving them a reproachful look. Jun Pyo was smirking and shaking his head. "Okay," Ga Eul replied meekly, trying to understand what was going on. "I can't wait, I won't," Yi Jeong began again and he noticed how Ga Eul's eyes were searching for answers. Her heart still belongs to him, Ji Hoo was right and Yi Jeong vowed never to doubt Ji Hoo ever again. "I don't know how I did the last four years, being away from you was complete torture," He added, caressing her face slowly. She looked beautiful, flushed after being kissed.

"All I did was thought of, your smile, your voice," Yi Jeong went on and he could see a small cautious smile was forming on Ga Eul's lips. "It took a lot of effort to even concentrate on my studies," He added, remembering how her face was the only thing he could see everywhere. "I wanted nothing more than to have you by my side, but, I can't be selfish, you have your own life to lead," He said slowly and he could see her biting down her lower lips, she tend to do that when she was happy or nervous, even angry at that. He had always liked that sight, he liked that he could read her like an open book. "I can't do that again, I might die if I try," He continued, admitting how much it hurt being away from her. "So, I'm coming with you," He stated at the end.

It took her a while to respond, as if she was letting the idea sink in and then... "What?" Ga Eul yelped, jumping slightly but Yi Jeong held her in place, not willing to let her go. "What about your work, your company and your mother?" She began yammering on, listing the things and people he would leave behind for her. Yi Jeong could only laugh at that. "Ga Eul, do I need to kiss you again in order to get you to calm down?" He asked playfully but Ga Eul fell silent immediately. He knew she would start putting other things before her. She couldn't just jump and kiss his breath away for saying her would go with her like other girls would, no. But, then again, she was never like other girls, it was probably why he had fallen for her in the first place, her innocence, courage, patience, selflessness and he could possibly go on.

"I'm an artist; I can work from anywhere I choose to work," Yi Jeong began, he was still amused and Ga Eul wasn't helping. She was biting her lips down trying to keep herself from talking and that made him really wanted to kiss her again. The only problem was, he had to actually answer her questions first. "The company, the board will handle it, it was going fine for four years without me and if I need to, I can still work from London and fly back every other week," He added, yes, he had thought it through. He would even give up the company for her. "And my mother, I talked to her, she had gotten used to not having me around, I did went abroad for four years before, you know," He finished with a small smile playing on his lips.

Yi Jeong stared at Ga Eul as she tried to come to terms with everything that was happening. First, Yi Jeong had kissed her in the middle of a crowded airport with their friends around them. Two, he said he was coming with her. Three, he had actually given her valid argument of which she still have yet to be able to come up with anything to counter him with, but, he still hadn't done one thing. "You can't come with me," Ga Eul stated slowly. It was nice, the feeling of being in close proximity to Yi Jeong, but she wanted to hear it, call her silly or anything, she actually had to hear him say it. Yi Jeong was taken aback, puzzled as to why his willingness to abandon his life in a familiar land and start over with her again somewhere foreign was rejected. Again, only Ga Eul would do that.

"Why?" Yi Jeong couldn't help himself from asking. His eyes searched for Ga Eul's as she tried to wiggle free from his embrace. "I thought it's quite obvious," Ga Eul replied, but Yi Jeong tightened his hand around her waist, refusing to let her go. Yi Jeong wrecked his brain, retracing his steps and wondering which step was it that he had missed. He always knew that he wasn't going to have it easy but, Ga Eul was definitely making it quite difficult for him and he could not understand him. Behind them, their friends were wearing an unfathomable expression on each of their faces. Even Jun Pyo had came up with the answer Ga Eul was looking for and he had almost said it aloud if it had not been for Jan Di stepping on his foot just in time.

"You're not going to make it easy for me, are you?" Yi Jeong said, sighing deeply while he shook his head. He figured out what it was that he hadn't said that she wanted to hear. They heard the last call for boarding and he knew his time was running out, he had to tell her what she wanted to hear because he knew she would leave without him if it he didn't. "It's not about making it easy or difficult," Ga Eul stated desperately. For a Casanova, well, ex, there are things that Yi Jeong was slow at. "You have to let me go sunbae, or I'd miss the plane," She added, pleading. It wasn't like plane ticket grown on trees and she was a scholarship student with little means as it was. "Don't worry; I'll get Jun Pyo to lend us his private jet," Yi Jeong stated carelessly. He knew that would provoke Ga Eul, but, he had to.

Of course, right on queue. "Yah! Sunbae, have you ever seen a scholarship student arrive by private jets before?" Ga Eul started to ramble on and Yi Jeong couldn't help but grin. Once again, his lips landed on hers before she could say another word. Yes, he was just teasing her because he wanted to have an excuse to kiss her again. After a few moments, he broke the kiss, it was different than the first kiss and if Yi Jeong had to describe it, it felt like coming home. "Have anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" He said jokingly and felt her small fist hitting his chest as he saw her fumed expression. Unwilling to let her go, Yi Jeong pulled Ga Eul closer. "I love you," He whispered slowly in her ear.

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Did they miss the plane? Meehhh... I'll leave that to your imagination heheh...

Originally published on "Lovers Unparalleled" 28th June 2011


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